Drill positioning device



1964 F. M. WENSING ETAL 3,117,756

DRILL POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORg RICHARD W. YERBU Y FRANCIS NLWENSING BY ZM ATTORNE 1 J 1964 F. M. WENSING ETAL 3,117,756

DRILL POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS RICHARD w YERBURY FRANCJ S M. WENSING BY 41, 24/ W ATTORNEY 14, 1964 F. M. WENSING ETAL 3,117,756

DRILL POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 llmiltli JNVENTORS RICHARD w. YERBURY FRANCIS M. wsusme BY w ATTORNEY United States Patent )fiice 3,ll?,75h Patented Jan. 14, 1954 3,117,756 DRILL PGSlTlQNlNG DEVKIE Francis M. Wensing and Richard W. Yerbury, Quincy,

115., assignors to Gardner-Denver Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 1, 1%0, Ser. No. 46,548 1 Claim. (1. 24-8-16) This invention relates generally to tool positioning means, and more particularly to means for swivelly attaching an adjustable tool support to a base.

In n'linin and tunneling operations, it is common practice to excavate a passageway having a work face which is advanced by setting off explosive charges or shots in drilled holes extending into the work face. The drilled blast holes are typically arranged in a definite pattern that will cause the subsequent explosion of charges positioned therein to remove or loosen a predetermined quantity of material without substantial alteration of the size or shape of the work face. To produce the desired drill pattern, adjustable supports for mounting a drilling mechanism upon a self-propelled vehicle are usually employed to provide rapid and accurate positioning of the mechanism with respect to the work face. Obviously such supports should be secured relative to the vehicle for swinging in horizontal and vertical planes to enable an operator to adjust selectively the drilling mechanism in a plurality of directions and planes.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide means for connecting an adjustable tool support to a mounting base in a manner productive of improved maneuverability of the tool with respect to a Work surface.

A more specific object is to provide an improved swivel connection for an adjustable drill carrying frame whereby the drill may be moved between extreme lateral positions in a straight line by a power operated member of the adjustable frame.

A still more specific object is to provide an improved swivel connection of the aforesaid character which affords simplified operation of a tripodal tool support thereby substantially reducing the power consumption and operator efiort required to move the tool as desired.

A still further specific object is to provide an improved swivel joint for swingably mounting a leg member of a tripodal tool support whereby the pivotal axes of the joint are normal to one another and intersect at a point to provide true universal movement of the leg.

Another important object is the provision of an improved mounting means for reversibly attaching an adjustable drill snpport of the aforede cribed character to a mounting base.

A more specific object is to provide an improved reversible mounting means of the aforesaid type which may be reversed from right-hand to left-hand operation or vice versa more conveniently, efficiently and speedily than known mounting devices of similar construction.

These and other more specific objects and advantages will appear upon readin the specification and appended claim in connection with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a drilling apparatus embodying an illustrative form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drilling apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken along lines 33 of FIG. 1 showing the improved tool mounting base;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along lines :4 of FIG. 3;

H6. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing an improved lift cylinder swivel joint; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a typical drill pattern in the work face of a mine or the like.

The drilling apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is of the self-propelled type and generally comprises a continuoustread vehicle 10, a drill assembly, indicated generally by numeral 12, and a power-operated tripodal frame, indicated generally by numeral 14, for adjustably mounting the drill assembly on an upstanding base 16 which is attached to the vehicle. Preferably, the vehicle 16 is adapted to move the drilling assembly 12 from place to place in a work area in response to operator-controlled fluid motors (not shown) or other suitable motive means. In the manner diagrammatically illustrated in the drawings, the drill assembly may be raised and lowered and may be moved laterally between extreme positions by a pair of telescoping, hydraulically-powered cylinders 18 and 20. Preferably, the cylinders are remotely controlled arid are supplied with hydraulic fluid through suitably connected, flexible conduits which have been omitted from the drawings for clarity. An operator of the illustrated drilling apparatus may selectively adjust the lengths of cylinders 18 and 2th to position the attached drill mechanism 12 for drilling holes in a work face according to a predetermined pattern such as that shown in FIG. 6.

The drill assembly 12 is conventional in structure and operation and comprises a track 22 for a feed mechanism (not shown) for advancing a pneumatic hammer motor 24 and the attached drill rod 26 and bit 28 into percussive cutting engagement with a vertical work surface. The feed track 22 is swivelly attached to the outer end of a boom or jib member 30 of the tripodal frame 14 for substantially universal movement by any type of suitably constructed pivot joint 23.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the boom 30 is preferably of the telescoping, hydraulically actuated type and generally comprises a cylinder 32 having a fluid actuated piston therein, an extensible and contractable piston rod 34 to which the aforedescribed drill assembly 12 is attached for inward and outward travel therewith, a collapsible bellows 36 surrounding the piston rod to shield the latter from damaging dirt particles or other debris, and an apertured inner end portion 33 swivelly attached to base 16 by a swivel joint, indicated generally by numeral 4% The lifting cylinder 18 has an extensible piston rod 42 pivotally journaled between a pair of tabs or cars 44a that are rigidly fixed to boom 3% adjacent the outer end thereof. The inner end of the lefting cylinder 18 comprises a reduced extension 45 and a flat, apertured end portion 48 which is swivelly attached to the outwardly facing surface of base 16 by means of a second swivel joint, indicated generally by numeral 5t. The swinging hydraulic cylinder 26 has its extensible piston rod 52 atached adjacent the outer end of boom 30 by a pivot pin penetrating a second pair of tabs 44!). Tabs 44b are spaced 99 angularly from tabs 44a, and a third set of identical tabs 44c is similarly spaced from tabs 44a for a purpose to be described. The inner end of swinging cylinder 26 compr ses a reduced extension 54 and an integral apertured end portion 56 which is swivelly attached to base 15 by a third swivel joint, indicated generally by numeral 69.

As thus described the tool supporting frame 14 is constructed substantially in accordance with conventional practice; however, the present invention contemplates a novel combination and arrangement of the aforementioned swivel means 4%), 5i and 6th for attaching the inner ends of cylinders 18 and 2i; and boom 36 to the base l6. Moreover, the improved construction is productive of certain operational advantages which will be hereinafter set forth in detail.

The preferred construction and orientation of the pluralpart swivel joints 49, Si and Gil are clearly illustrated in FlGS. 3, 4, and 5. More particularly, FIG. 3 shows that, with the boom 30 mounted upon the upstanding front portion of base 16 in the so-called right-hand position, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, the boom swivel 4t) and the swinging cylinder swivel so are spaced apart in the upper right-hand and left-hand corners, respectively; and, the lifting cylinder swivel 5G is spaced from and generally disposed below the boom swivel 40. An important aspect of the invention resides in the relationship of certain pivot shafts of swivels 49 and 5t and this feature will be hereinafter explained in detail.

As best illustrated by FIG. 3, the upper swivels 4t and 69 are similar in construction and each essentially comprises a pair of offset pivot pins disposed at right angles to provide substantially universal movement for an associated leg of the tripodal frame 14. A flat plate 62 secured across the top of base 16 has forwardly extending tabs 64 and 66 spaced at opposite ends thereof and respectively cooperating with vertically spaced tabs 68 and 7% to provide horizontally spaced supports for the vertical pivot shafts 72and 74 of swivels 4i and 6% The aforementioned vertically spaced pairs of tabs have alined apertures therethrough and tubular sleeves 76 and 78 disposed therebetween so that the openings through the respective sleeves register with the apertures in the supporting tabs and the pivot shafts 72 and 74 are insertable thereinto in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. As seen in FIG. 4, the upper and lower end portions of shaft 72 extend beyond the tabs 64 and 68 and are provided with annular grooves to receive snap rings 30a and Sill) which prevent longitudinal displacement of the shaft from the illustrated assembled relationship. The method of assembling swivel 69 is substantially the same as that of swivel 40 and need not be described.

F188. 3 and 4 show that the apertured inner end portion 33 of boom cylinder 39 is penetrated by a horizontal pivot shaft 82 which is journaled at opposite ends within alined openings through a pair of spaced ears 84a and 84b rigidly secured to opposite sides of tubular sleeve 76. Similarly, as seen in FIG. 3, the apertured inner end portion 56 of swinging cylinder 2t) is penetrated by a horizontal pivot shaft 85 which is rotatably journaled at opposite ends within alined openings through a pair of laterally spaced ears 83a and 88b rigidly secured to sleeve 73.

It will be apparent from the description of the swivel element 4% that the boom 3% may oscillate about pivot shaft 82 in a vertical plane and that the swivel 4% may swing about pivot shaft 72 in a horizontal plane. The

' description or" swivel element 6% shows that the swinging cylinder may oscillate about pivot shaft 36 in a vertical plane and that the swivel 6% may swing horizontally about pivot shaft 74. Thus, as shown in FIGS. -1 and 2, the boom 36 and the swing cylinder 20 are swingable upwardly and downwardly in unison about their respective horizontal axes by adjusting the length of the lifting cylinder 18, and are swingable laterally in un son about their respective vertical axes by adjusting the length of the swinging cylinder 20. From the foregoing, it will also be apparent that the tripodal frame 14 is horizontally and vertically adjustable with respect to base 16 and that the drill assembly 12 is substantially universally movable about the outer end of frame 14, thereby providing a drilling apparatus being extremely maneuverable in operation so that the drill assembly 12 may be easily and quickly positioned for operation in any desired relation to a work face.

An essential feature of the invention is the provision of a swivel joint 5%; for the lifting cylinder 18 which is adapted for reversible mounting upon base 16. In carry ing out this aspect of the invention, an L-shaped lug 9% is detachably secured to base 16 by any suitable fastening means, such as bolts 91, 91, intermediate a pair of identical, reversely turned brackets 92a and 92b, best shown in FIG. 3. The brackets consist of upstanding, apertured :tabs 4a and fi-ib wlu'ch are rigidly secured between pairs of spaced, parallel supports 96a, 95a and 95b, 96b. Each of the supports is provided with a notch 97 which abuts the base 16, as seen in H6. 5, and is rigidly attached thereto. The cooperating pairs of supports are disposed relative to base 16 so that the members 94a and 94b extend laterally beyond the opposite marginal edges of the surface base 16. A pair of spaced, parallel plates 98a and 98b are rigidly joined to axially alined cylindrical shafts lfilla and lllilb which are respectively interposed and rigidly secured between opposite ends of plates 98a and 93b. The extreme longitudinal end surfaces of plates 98:: and 98b abut against shaft enlargements 162a and 1532b. The outer ends of shafts 139a and ltlllb terminate in integral bosses 103a and 19312 which are rotatably journaled in alined apertures in member 94a and the upright tab portion 164 of lug 96, respectively.

Referring to FlGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the fiat apertured end 43 of lifting cylinder 18 is penetrated by a pivot pin 1% which is rotatably journaled in alined apertures located centrally of plates 8a and 98b. Pivot pin 196 is held against longitudinal displacement by snaprings 1598a and 10317. The sloped inner end surfaces 110a and lltlb of shafts lllda and 18% are spaced and inclined to avoid interference with substantial oscillatory movement of end portion 43 about the longitudinal axis of pivot pin res. From the foregoing description of swivel Stl, it will be understood that the lifting cylinder 13 is laterally swingable about pivot pin 1% and is swingable about the alined longitudinal axes of the shafts a and ltlilb.

As previously stated, an essential feature of the invention resides in the relationship of the pivot axes of swivels 4i and Sil. This relationship is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 which show that the longitudinal ads of pivot pin 1&6, indicated by lineX-X, and a line connecting the longitudinal axes of shafts llitla and lililb, indicated by line Y-Y, intersect at point P, as seen in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a vertically extending rectilinear prolongation of the longitudinal axis of pivot shaft '72 of swivel 49, indicated by line Z-Z in FIG. 4, also intersects the aforementioned line YY at point P.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the lifting cylinder swivel joint 5i) having intersecting vertical and lateral swing axes XX and YY provides a single point P about which true universal movement of cylinder 1% is attainable. Such provision for true universal movement is in contradistinction to the conventional practice of constructing a corresponding lifting swivel so that the vertical and lateral swing axes are disposed in offset planes and, therefore, fail to intersect. Moreover, in the conventional swivel constructions for drilling apparatus, the above-described relationship be: tween the boom swivel 40 and the lifting cylinder swivel St has not been thought to be critical. However, experimentation has shown that the abovesdescribed construction and orientation of swivels for a tripodal frame for swingably supporting a drill assembly provides certain operational advantages. One such advantage is the provision of a horizontally swingable support for the drill assembly 12 which eliminates so-called fall off occurring at the extreme lateral positions of the boom 3% as it is swung in horizontal planes. This essential feature will be more fully understood by referring to FIG. 6 which shows a typical blast hole pattern drilled in a. vertical work face 12% of a mine or tunnel or the like- While the drilled holes extend inwardly 'at predetermined angles to the surface of the face, it will be seen that a drilling assembly, such as drill assembly 12, is required to travel or track rectilineariy across the face 129 in order to position the drill rod 25 and bit Ztlfor drilling, alined holes 122 along the L--L, for instance. Some conventional swivel mountings employed in similar drilling apparatus do not provide such level tracking, but,

instead, permit the drill assembly to depress downwardly j at the extreme lateral positions, as shown by the broken line L -L in FIG. 6. With such falling off, each time the drill assembly 12 is moved laterally it must also be readjusted vertically to raise the bit 28 sufliciently to accurately position the laterally occurring holes of the drill pattern along line LL. Thus the operator of such known drilling apparatus must adjust both swinging cylinder 2 3 and lifting cylinder 18 in order to track across a Work face in a straight horizontal line. However, from the foregoing description it will be apparent that a drilling apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention permits rectilinear tracking of the drill assembly 12 as the tripodal frame 14 is moved from side to side. Furthermore, upon operation of the apparatus, the operator need only adjust the swinging cylinder 24} to position the drill bit 28 for drilling spaced holes along a horizontal line, such as line LL in FIG. 6. This important aspect of the invention not only provides faster and more efficient drilling, but also reduces power consumption, wearing of moving parts and operator fatigue.

In carrying out another aspect of the invention the swivel joints 4t 5t) and 60 are adapted for reversibly mounting the boom 39 and its adjustable positioning legs 18 and 26 for right-hand or left-hand operation. Looking forward along boom 30 from a position at the rear of mounting base 16, as viewed in H65. 1 and 2, it is seen that the boom is mounted on the right side of the forward-facing surface of base 16. In this so-called right-hand operating position, the drilling assembly 12 is adapted for oscillation between lateral limits generally indicated by the broken outlines of the assembly 12 and frame 14, shown in FIG. 2. In certain drilling applications, it may be advantageous to extend the lateral swing limit of the drill assembly in a direction outwardly from the left-hand side of vehicle 19. Such a shift in the operational limits of the frame 14 may become necessary, for instance, in following a coal seam which begins to slope to the left of the vertical center line of an existing work face. While it may be possible to move the vehicle to an adjusted position which would compensate for the leftward inclination of the seam, it may be more feasible to reverse the boom 30, the swing cylinder 20, and the lift cylinder 18 for left-hand operation thereby extending the effective drilling range of the drill assembly 12 leftwardly.

The aforedeseribed structure of the swivel joints 4t), 50 and 60 provides for reversal of boom 3%} for the purpose just described in the following convenient, labor saving manner: The boom 39 is first supported in any suitable manner to relieve the load carried by the swivel joints. The outer end of the swinging cylinder 29 is then disconnected from tabs 44b and the vertical pivot shaft 74 is driven out of sleeve 78 to free the inner end 56 of cylinder from attachment to tabs 66 and 7G. The inner end of lifting cylinder 18 is then released from the bracket 92a by removing bolts 91, 91 from 111g 99 and withdrawing boss 103a from the opening through tab 940. The vertical pivot shaft 72 is then removed from the boom swivel 40 to free the inner end of boom 30' along with sleeve 76, ears 84a and 84b, and horizontal pivot shaft 82. Having disengaged the inner ends of the respective members of frame 14, the frame is reversely reconnected to base 16 for left-hand operation as follows: Sleeve 76 is journaled between tabs 66 and 7% by inserting pin 74 therethrough thereby positioning the inner end of boom 3-) at the upper left-hand corner of base 16. The inner end 38 of the lifting cylinder 18 is then rotated between reversely turned brackets 92a and 92b to reverse the lug 90, plates 98a and 98b and the attached shafts 109a and 113% so that boss 163a may be journaled in the opening extending through tab 941) of bracket 92!). The lug 96 is then secured in this reversed position by tightening the nuts on bolts 91, 91. The inner end of swing cylinder 20 is attached between tabs 64 and 68 by inserting pivot shaft 72 through the last mentioned tabs and sleeve 78. Finally, the outer end of cylinder 2%) is pivotflly connected between the tabs 44c extending from the right-side of boom 38..

While the illustrated embodiment of the novel tool supporting structure has been shown to have particular utility when employed to adjustably position a conventional pneumatic drilling mechanism, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to a particular type of tool. Rather, the improved means for attaching the tool supporting frame 14 to base 16 provides increased maneuverability and flexibility of operation for any device intended to be moved with respect to a work surface. Moreover, the herein described construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts may be changed without departing from the concept of the invention as determined by the scope of the appended claim.

We claim the following invention as new and useful and desire to protect the same by United States Letters Patent:

A drill positioning device comprising:

(a) a base structure;

(b) a drill support movable in a plurality of directions and planes relative to said base to position selectively a drill with respect to a work surface;

(0) tripodal frame means interposed between said base and said support;

(d) said frame means including a boom member and a pair of extensible members operative to effect controlled movement of said support as aforesaid;

(e) swivel means carried by said base in spaced apart relation for swivelly connecting respective members of said frame means to said base; and

(f) one of said swivel means including a pivot member journaled between one tab of a pair of spaced tabs attached to said base and a lug reversibly secured to said base intermediate said tabs, whereby to provide means for interchangeably connecting said pivot member between either of said pair of tabs and said lug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 714,694 Holtz Dec. 2, 1902 2,606,078 Brock Aug. 5, 1952 2,703,222 Feucht Mar. 1, 1955 2,791,399 Curtis et al. May 7, 1957 

